The Vancouver Dress – Finished Project!

While I am also working on this Simplicity dress with my friend, I wanted to understand the fit of this pattern better before we completed the project. I hope that this will let her have the most positive experience and not be discouraged by any type of fit issue.

With that in mind! It seemed like a great pattern to use for the linen I picked up in Vancouver at Atex Fabrics.

I cut this fabric perpendicular to the graneline so that I could take advantage of the floral ombre effect.

From here – it was sewing time! This pattern is actually quite nice and pretty easy. I had never sewn with linen before and the weave of this fabric was definitely looser. This meant there was some chances to get wavy seams and cutting straight lines was a bit odd a challenge too. Through lots of pinning and pressing I managed to still make it through pretty quickly.

Next time, I may make this dress in an even lighter silk or a wintery fabric! Or crop it into a top! I liked this first version.

Here was a process picture pretty far in where I was double checking the fit ahead of finishing the french seams.

There was one other REVOLUTIONARY element of this project. I finally cut my bias tape for finishing the arms… on the bias. This has always seemed so wasteful to not use straight strips of fabric bit I realized I was starting to get wobbly necklines because the bias tape didn’t have enough give and stretch… I know it’s so obvious… this turns out to be one sewing corner you should not cut. The more you know!

Ta da! The Vancouver dress!